Albany Area Chamber hosts State of the Community event

ALBANY — An audience of about 160 got a glimpse on Wednesday into the Albany/Dougherty County area’s present and future during a program that gave updates on several economic sectors in the community.

The State of The Community program touched on education, economic development, transportation, housing and medical issues with a panel of five experts.

A second panel, consisting of Albany City Manager Steven Carter and Assistant Dougherty County Administrator Barry Brooks, discussed the transportation special purpose local option sales tax and the projects that would be funded if it is extended for another five years.

Among the highlights of the discussion was the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, which has been lavished with attention over the last couple of years.

“We are the second-largest cargo airport in the state of Georgia,” Dr. Frank Middletion III, chairman of the Airport Commission, said. “Savannah is No. 3, and we are two times larger than Savannah.”

The Airport Commission has had a recommendation to apply for state money to expand the airport’s cargo facilities, he said.

Last year the commercial side of the airport got a new hangar building that can house private planes. That facility is busy during the lengthy quail-hunting season, Middleton said. On the passenger side the airport handles about 35,000 departures and arrivals each year.

“We have invested in infrastructure,” Middleton said.

On Nov. 7, Dougherty County voters will weigh in on the T-SPLOST initiative, which would extend collection of the penny sales tax that has been used to improve roads, streets and sidewalks and also funded other transportation initiatives.

While government entities are not allowed to advocate for the tax, they can educate the public, Brooks told the audience at the luncheon, hosted by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and other sponsors and held at the Albany State University West Campus.

“The benefit of the sales tax is (it) leverages the money,” Chamber President and CEO Barbara Rivera Holmes said. “We estimate 70% of T-SPLOST is generated by out-of-town visitors.”

The first T-SPLOST, approved by Dougherty County voters in 2019, funded the resurfacing of 46 miles of city streets, Carter said. The city also used sales tax dollars generated to improve sidewalks and alleys.

There are a few unpaved streets remaining in the city, Carter said, and they would be a priority for the next sales tax.

The estimated revenues from the first tax were put at $80 million, and if renewed, it is expected to generate about another $88 million.

“Whether or not we had that sales tax, we would still have had to pay for roads, and that would come from you,” Carter said.

Referring to the sales tax money that flows in from non-residents, the city manager said that “most people don’t know that our population swells during the middle of the day. They come here to work. They come here to eat. Thank you for voting to have that first 1% sales tax.”

If voters approve the measure, they will not see an increase in the amount of tax paid on a dollar in purchases, Holmes said, as it would remain the same at 8%.

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
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